Rolling mill and control mechanism therefor



. Jan. 8, 1935. H. c. MOSLEY 1,987,204 3 ROLLING MILL AND CONTROLMECHANISM THEREFOR Filed oct. 27;1951 4 Sheets-Shgeet 1 INVENTOR L H. c.MOSLEY ROLLING MILL AND CONTROL MECHANISM THEREFOR Filed 001;. '27, 19514 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jan. 8, 1935.

H. c.' MOSLEY ROLLING MILL AND CONTROL MECHANISM THEREFOR Filed Oct. 27,1931 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Jan. 8,1935.

H. c. MOSLEV ROLLING MILL AND CONTROL MECHANISM THEREFOR Filed Oct. 27,1931 4 Sheets-Sheet 4" INVENTORY- Patented Jan. 8, 1935 UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE-O ROLLING MILL AND CONTROL MECHANISM THEREFOR ApplicationOctober 2 7,

11 Claims.

trolmechanism of such nature that the characteristic operation of theapparatus is controlled automatically by the material being worked upon.

While thepresent invention is adaptable to a wide variety of differenttypes of metal work- 'ing apparatus for controlling the characteristicoperation of adjacent units working continuous- 1y on a piece of metal,it is herein illustrated and described as applied to a continuous mill0! the type utilized in the rolling of rods, bars and the like.

In mills of the general character referred to; it is customary toprovide, somewhere in the mill train, one or more intermediate mills andone or more finishing mills. The intermediate mill or mills constitutean intermediate stand, and the finishing mill or mills constitute eithera finishing stand or spaced finishing stands to which the rods or barsmay be selectively fed. It is well recognized that it is necessary toproperly correlate the speed of operation of an intermediate stand witha given finishing stand, in order to effect feeding of the material at aproper rate of speed. If the speed of operation of the finishing standis too high, relatively to the speed of operation of the intermediatestand supplying metal thereto, the metal is subjected to an unduestretching, while if the speed of the finishing mill is too low,objectionable looping or buckling of the metal takes place. 'It-hasheretofore been customary in the art to which the invention relates' todrive stands of the character referred to with variable speed motors,and to control the speed of the motors manually, in accordance with thecharacteristics of the metal intermediate adjacent stands.

It is one of the objects of the present invention to obviate thenecessity for such amanual control, and efieot an'automatic control ofthe speed of a finishing stand, in accordance, with the length of thematerial between an intermediate stand and a finishing stand.

It is a further object of'the present invention to provide a controlstand of the general character referred to, which is automaticallyoperable to prevent an-excess body of metal between adjacent stands, andalso to prevent the possibility of an operation such that any metaltherebetwe' in will be subjected to an undesired tension or stretching.r

In the accompanying drawings, I have illustrated the invention, more orless diagrammati- 1931, Serial No. 571,308

cally, as applied to a continuous rod mill of the general characterreferred to, it being understood, however, that the utility of theinvention is not thus limited.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a top plan view, largely diagrammatic, of a rolling systemembodying the present invention;

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view, on an en arged scale, along theline II--1I of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an end elevational view of the structure illustrated inFigure 2;

Figure 4 is a side elevational view of the dial switch shown in sideelevation in Figure 3; and

Figure 5 is a partial wiring diagram employed in accordance with thepresent invention.

Referring first to Figure 1 of the drawings, there is illustrated aportion of a rolling mill comprising an intermediate stand 2, hereinshown as composed of two intermediate mills, adapted to feed rods, barsor the like, either to a finishing stand 3 or a finishing stand 4. Eachof these finishing stands is shown as comprising four individual mills,although the number of mills may be varied at the pleasure of theoperator.

Extending between the intermediate stand 2 and the finishing stand 3 isa regulator 5 of generally curved construction so as to provide a lengthmaterially greater than the straight line distance between the twostands, a similar regulator 6 extending between the intermediate stand 2and the finishing stand 4. As will be apparent more particularly fromFigure 2 of the drawings, wherein the regulator 5 is shown in transversesection, it comprises, in general, a channelshaped body of metal havingan upwardly and inwardly extending opening or throat '7 through whichmaterial may pass inwardly into the'chain line positiomfor example,illustrated in Figure 1. This movement of the metal will be occasionedunder such conditions of operation as the speed of a finishing standexceeds, beyond a predetermined amount, the speed of; the intermediatestand. Should the speed difterence become too great, it is obvious thatthe metal will tend to assume a position. as illustrated in dotted linesin Figure 1, this representing an approximation, as nearly as permittedby the regulator construcv tion, of a straight line condition betweenthe stands. As soon as the dotted; line position is it, thus resultingin undersized rods, which must be rejected.

- In accordance with the present invention, I provide at a suitablepoint intermediate the adjacent stands, an automatic control mechanism,by

means of which the motor 8 driving the finishingstand3orthemotor9drivingthefinishingstand 4 may have its speedautomatically varied. This control mechanism is illustrated, as to itsmechanical construction, in Figures 2 and 3 of the drawings, ascomprising a control lever 10 carried by a horizontally extending shaft11 below the repeater table 12, and as projecting upward- 1. lineposition, it will swing the roller 15 and thus ly through a slot 14therein. It is to be understood that one of these mechanisms is providedfor each of the regulators, the mechanisms being of similarconstruction. At its upper end, the lever carries a roller 15 projectingupwardly a sufiicient distance above the table 12 so as tobe'engaged bythe metal in moving from theregulator'toitschainlinepositiomandtobeswung by the metal in moving fromits chain line to its dotted line position. In Figure 2, the lever 10 isshown in its extreme position toward the regulator, with a rod 16 incontact with the roller 15. Should the rod tend to assume a straight thelever 10 to the. right, as viewed in Figure 2,

thusrotatingtheshattllinaclo'ckwisedirection. This shaft is normallyurged in the opposite direction by counterweights 17 and 17' and fluidpressure cylinder 18 to cause the parts to return to the position shownin Figure 2, should the tension on the rod decrease.

Carried by the shaft 11 is a contact arm 19 constituting a part oi. adial switch, illustrated moreparticuIarIyinFigureQandcomprisInga seriesof individual contacts 20 over which the dial arm is adaptedto be movedwhen the shaft 11 is rotated. These contacts 20 are illustrated inFigure 5 as being each connected to oneside oi! acoil21adaptedtobesuccessivelyenergizedor deenergized as the contact arm 19moves in one direction or the other over the contacts- As they aresuccessively energized, they attract arms 22, of magnetically operatedcontactors, and thus successively cut into or out oi! circuitpredeterand'the tension on the material relieved, there mined amounts ofresistance in a field rheostat 23, bymeans of which the speed of eitherthe motorii or the motor 9 may be regulated,.there being oneoi thesefield rheostats or each motor.'lhernovementotthedialswitchesinacoordance with the position otitsrespective control lever, thus automatically varying the speed or!themotordrivingtherollsoithefinishingstands,

the construction being such that the motors areprogressivelydecreasedinspeedasthematerial assume a more nearly straight-,line position, and

It will be understood that the field rheostats may be the same as thoseordinarily employed-tor eiiecting manual control oi'speed conditions,such intermediate two predetermined points tends to control beingrendered unnecessary by thepi'ese'ntinvention.v P 'lhespeedoithemotorsdrivingthefinishing standshaving been automatically varied by thetension on the material, the relative speeds o! th'eintermediatemillandthefinishingmillare bmughtmorenearly into the desired synchronism bypermitting, it tomove from its dotted line I position chain lineposition. During this movement, the'lever 10 is, caused to iollowthematerial under the infiuence .oi the iiuid pressure cylinder 18counterweight 1'1, thus the parts position in which they are ready for asucceeding operation, should the speed of the mills age-hi go out ofstep. 'Whilethedialswitchbeioredescribedmaybe20inaccordancewiththepositionoitheannl The particular construction ofhowever, constitutes no essential present invention, it being same asrequired to meet encountered.

travel of the material intermediate succeed roll stands.

Further advantages of the invention arise from the provision of acontrol mechanism adapted to beutilizedwithmillsiortherdlingoirodabenand the like and automatically controlled by the material being rolled,whereby the desired rolling speeds of successive tained.

whilelhavehereinillustrat edanddeecribed a preferred embodiment of myinvmtion, it will beunderstoodthatchangesintheeonstructim arrangementand operation 01 the parts may be made without departing either-iron:the spiritot or my broader clai m the invention or the scope I claim:-1.Arollingmiil comprisingstandsolrolisbetween which material is adaptedto pass, means mounted for generally horizontal movement transversely ofthe direction or movement-o! the material and adapted to engage therlmtes'ial possible to m theoperatingeuuiitiom .go

millstaudsaremainof such material, said to saidiirstmeniionedmeamsoconstructedand arrangedasto'regulatethespeedot'atleastmeoisaidstandsinaccordancewiththetensionon"' the material.

amamnmzmmymmamuauma standagenerallyhorilontfllyeuned finishing regulatorintermediate said stands. and

having a portionwithin thecurveotlaidlfelll- .iator mounted forgenerally transversely .1. said regulator (automatically vii-171 8 thespeed of one oi said standsinaecord-z;

ance with the tension on the material sum.- yisspacedstands,oiagenerailyhorisontalcunbination in a continuousIIImIIII- Y said stands, and a speed controlling mechanism having aportion mounted for generally horizontal movement transversely of saidregulator within the curve of said regulator and in cooperative relationto the metal in said regulator. 5. In a rolling mill, spaced standsadapted to perform successive operations on a piece of metal, agenerally horizontally curved guide intermediate said stands, and aspeed control mechanism having a portion projecting upwardly within thecurve of said guide and mounted for generally horizontal movementtransversely of said guide and so as to be engaged by metal movinglaterally out of and away from the guide.

6. The combination with a guide having a throat opening upwardly andtoward one side thereof, of a lever normally inclined toward saidthroatand adapted to be engaged by material passing out of the throat, and aregulator for con-,

control mechanism below said table operated by said lever.

8. The combination in a rolling mill of spaced roll stands, generallyhorizontally disposed means intermediate said stands having an upwardlyand laterally directed opening adapted normally to cause material beingrolled therein to follow a generally horizontally curved paththerebetween,

and speed control mechanism having a portion mounted for generallyhorizontal movement transversely of said means adapted to be actuated bysaid material when the material tends to travel in a substantiallystraight line from one mill to the other and passes through saidopening.

9. The combination with an intermediate roll stand providing a rollingpass, of a finishing roll stand providing a rolling pass whose axis ishorizontally out of alinement with the axis of said first mentionedrolling pass, a motor for driving each of said stands, a curved guidedisposed in the path of travel oimaterial from one stand to the other,and means having a portion mounted for generally horizontal movement soconstructed and arranged as to control the speed of one of said standswhen the material travels in a predetermined path shorter than that ofthe curved control mechanism.

10. The combination with. spaced roll stands,

of a generally horizontally curved guide extending between said stands,a motor for driving each of said stands, and a control mechanism havinga portion generally horizontally spaced from said guide and mounted forgenerally horizontal movement transversely of the path of travelofmaterial moving out of said guide and adopted to be engaged by saidmaterial for regulating the HARLEY c. Meeting.

